Hyomin’s pov

I told her. I told Jiyeon about Eunjung, making it sound less dramatic as possible, with cutting a lot of parts. I just told her that I follow Eunjung out of curiosity to her place and she ended up lending me her sandal because I got blisters from walking, then she offer to send me back. As simple as that.

Jiyeon weirdly showing lack of the interest though as she listen to me. She just nod, without asking any further and like that, the story end there.

I spent the rest of the day with Jiyeon doing random things, nothing much happened and before I know it, it’s already dark and now I’m home, ready to go to sleep.

It still early but I got nothing to do, so I choose to just sleep. Before I went to sleep, I post a tweet on my twitter, to let her know.

I had fun today.

So when she saw it, she is the only one who get it. I love it when she indirectly say something to me through her tweets, that’s why I’m doing the same thing.

Good night you there.

And that one, I just let it echoes in my mind.

In my dream, I saw Eunjung, approaching me like this morning. It feel like slow motion as it took forever for her to reach me. I just stand there, waiting.

“Don’t come to find me again”

Her voice echoes in my dream, waking me up. I look around, feeling confuse for a while, then realized it just a dream.

You don’t have to keep reminding me. I heave a long sigh thinking about the dream.

I glanced at the clock. I just fall asleep like half an hour earlier. Feeling not wanting to go back to sleep, I went to watch TV in hope I will feel sleepy again and went to sleep for real.

Nothing really interesting on TV though. I finally choose to watch a cooking show and unconsciously feeling absorbed watching the show. The problem is I feel hungry watching the host keep eating.

I glanced again at the time. I guess it’s not too late to grab some food, so I went to change to comfortable cloth and leave the house.

There is this one place that I think of, so I drive to there.

“Omma!” In Jung greet me as she saw me.

“In Jung ah” I put her up and let her hug me. “You always up late” I said. I came earlier than yesterday but still it’s sleeping time for a kid like In Jung.

“Oh! Hyominnie. I’m glad to see you again” Halmeoni greet me and tap on my hand like she did yesterday.

“I’m craving for your food” I said, sitting on the same table as yesterday.

“How is your cold?” She then ask as she wipe the table for me.

“It’s better now” I responded. “Cook for me your best food, halmeoni” I then said. I’m not picky when it come to eat. I’m fine with anything, especially at this moment. I’m so hungry.

After telling me to wait for a while, halmeoni disappear to the kitchen to prepare for the foods. There are some other customers around me, busy enjoying their foods.

I divert my attention to In Jung that now sitting on my lap. She pull out her sketchbook and stationeries earlier and now she is drawing.

“What are you drawing?” I ask, making my voice sound childish to matched hers.

In Jung then pointed to her drawing and told me “This is appa” She point to the tallest on her drawing, too tall to the point of her head almost touching the upper edge of the paper.

She then pointed to the drawing next to that appa which I think must be Eunjung and pointed to me.

“Me?” I ask, feeling amused. In Jung nodded and grin at me. I have long hair on her drawing, slightly shorter than Eunjung and she draw us holding hand. I unknowingly smile at that.

“I haven’t done with it” In Jung then said.

“Halmeoni” She said while drawing a person who is slightly appears crooked. “Back hurt” In Jung laugh as she said that.

“You should give her a massage” I commented.

“Should I?” She ask, then she draw herself, the smallest, touching the back of her halmeoni. “Massage” She said.

I clapped for her as she finished with her drawing. “Wow this look good” I snap the picture of it with my phone.

“I want too” In Jung excitedly said and raised up a v sign for me to took her picture with her drawing.

The moment I switched the camera to front camera to snap the picture of us, I saw Eunjung on the screen next to me, smiling and putting her face close to join us on the frame.

“Appa is here!” In Jung dance happily before asking me to took another picture.

“Alright. Enough with that” Eunjung said and sit joining us. “What is this?” Eunjung ask In Jung as she saw the drawing.

“Appa, omma, halmeoni and me” In Jung then explained her drawing to Eunjung.

“I look ugly though” Eunjung . “I’m tall like a monster”

In Jung pout as she heard that. “Omma said it’s good”

Eunjung then laugh before she said “It is good. I’m just teasing you. Can I keep this?” Eunjung pointed to the drawing, asking for In Jung approval to keep it.

“Yes” In Jung pout still there and the next second, I saw Eunjung bend closer to us and peck at In Jung’s lips. “Smile please” She then said.

In Jung smile and look at me. I didn’t see it coming when she quickly peck on my cheek. “I passed it!” She said. I just smile at her, trying to not showing any awkward expression and luckily, Eunjung is smiling too.

I steal a glance at Eunjung and I saw her too looking at me before she went to the kitchen to greet the halmeoni and said her order.

In Jung now goes with another drawing of random animals. Just right before our food is ready, In Jung’s head already hung low, indicating that she fall asleep on my lap.

“Where to put her?” I ask, looking at Eunjung.

Eunjung took her from me and bring her to a handmade long chair close to the kitchen. She put a mat there before putting the sleeping In Jung to lay down there and put a blanket on her.

I wonder did In Jung live her everyday life like that? I heard that this place usually close at 3 am and how halmeoni bring her back home after that?

“No one taking care of her at home” Eunjung said as we done with eating. She must saw me keep looking at In Jung. “So halmeoni have to bring her along”

My eyes unknowingly brimmed with tears, imagining In Jung’s everyday life.

“She lived all her life like that, so you know, she is not that sad and it’s not that hard for her as it appears to be for you” Eunjung then added.

Did she try to make me feel better?

“I thought my life but after I know her, I feel ashamed with how mad I am with my life. I still have a better life compared to her” Eunjung continue her rant. Now I hold my gaze on her, looking at her.

“At least nobody dump me as if I’m a trash when I was a baby like what her parents did”

I turn to look at In Jung again, this time my tears streaming down my face. I feel really sad for her. I try to wipe it off with the back of my palm but Eunjung is faster.

Her face is close to me, like that night of her wiping my tears. The difference is now I can clearly see her face. Like that night, she gently wipe my tears away and I believe this scene won’t leave my mind at least until the coming few weeks.

“You sure cry a lot” She said, almost whispering.

“You sure have that a lot” I responded, referring to her handkerchief. She just shake her head, slightly smiling.

“This is the last” She said, putting it back on her jean’s pocket, this time not giving it to me.

I see that as she don’t want me to make it as excuse to meet her again in the future, to return it.

“So we met again” I said after brief of silence in between us.

“You came to my territory” She said.

“You own this place?” I ask, rolling my eyes.

Eunjung just laugh under her breath, shaking her head.

“I’m here to met In Jung” I said, wrapping my arms on my body.

She look at me and hold her gaze for seconds, showing unreadable emotion in it before she finally went to the kitchen. After that, she kiss the sleeping In Jung’s forehead. Then, without even looking at me, she grab In Jung’s drawing earlier and leave.

For some reason, I know we will meet again and I already looking forward to it. I watched her cold back walking away until it disappear from my sight before I decide to leave, the same way as her earlier, unknowingly.

...

Author’s pov

Jiyeon scroll on her twitter and saw Hyomin last tweet, pinned by twitter on top for her. Twitter know whose tweet to prioritize for her to read first.

I had fun today.

Jiyeon read it like multiples time and clicked on her profile to check if she tweet anything else. Found nothing else, Jiyeon feels tempted to tweet back, me too but she know she didn’t. So she just put down her phone and gulp on soju in front of her.

“Why are this heart breaker so gloomy tonight?” Someone tapped on her shoulder and sit next to her, joining her. Knowing enough who is that person, she didn’t even bother to look at her.

“Stop calling me that” Jiyeon said, gulping down her drink.

“Don’t tell me you are broken hearted instead tonight”

Jiyeon turn to look at that person who is her mom’s sister and also her boss and her friend too or best to say, drinking buddy. Yoo In Na. She is on her middle 30 but didn’t look like having much s with Jiyeon. They are close mostly because In Na think Jiyeon is her younger version.

“What if I said I did?” Jiyeon said, giving annoying look.

“No way! Who is the ?” In Na ask, showing exaggerate concern purposely to tease Jiyeon.

“Don’t call her that” Jiyeon weakly said, lazy to fight back like always.

“Omo you defend her” In Na slightly laugh, trying hard to not but she laugh anyway.

Examining Jiyeon’s reaction, this is first time In Na saw Jiyeon show an interest on someone. As long as she know, Jiyeon dates a lot, play around a lot, changing partners like changing clothes and of course for someone like that, she never act like how she is today, not in front of In Na.

Knowing better as she know Jiyeon like she know herself, In Na then said “I bet you didn’t even dare to confess”

Jiyeon just raise her soju bottle, agreeing to that and gulp some more down .

“And now you helplessly saw her drifting away from you to someone else” In Na guess again, feeling emotional remembering her lost love, her past love that gone to waste.

“That person is so good looking, it’s hurting my pride just looking at her. Hyomin didn’t even blink looking at her” Jiyeon’s tone of voice obviously showing that she is now drunk. “This is your fault” Jiyeon wave her hand to pointed at In Na.

Sensing Jiyeon drunk behaviour, In Na snatched her soju and placed it far from her. Jiyeon then put her head down on the table.

“So her name is Hyomin?” In Na ask, looking at the back of Jiyeon’s head which is now on the table. “You must be afraid to hurt her but in the end, you know you will eventually hurt her regardless of whatever you did. You are now on that phase... “ In Na close her eyes remembering that night she act exactly like how Jiyeon act tonight. “If only I know better. If only I know earlier and if I didn’t give up... “ In Na stop talking as she heard Jiyeon’s heavy breath. Jiyeon must be already fall asleep.

In Na shakes her head looking at the sleeping Jiyeon. They met outside to have a drink and she don’t feel like carrying this drunk Jiyeon back with her.

In Na then grab Jiyeon’s phone and unlock it as if it is her own phone, knowing Jiyeon way too much, she even know how simple the unlock pattern assigned. She scrolled on the contacts list and stop as she saw the name.

“Thanks me later” She whisper to the sleeping Jiyeon.